A New Student Series
by Bananacakes
Summary: Three new students, three old loved characters. Loads of fluffy bunnies. AngelxOC, ColossusxOC, PyroxOC DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Xmen. All i own are a few crappy DVDs.
1. Better Than A Cameo

I was just a tad bit mad when Colossus only got those little scenes in XMen, so I decided to write a story about him... and a girl. My friend requested he be a cameo role in one of my other stories, so I decided to jump the gun and make a story, which is better than a cameo (hence the title). Yes, I have no life. One-shot, tons o' fluff. Enjoy.

Piotr Rasputian was having a bad day. First off, he had cut himself three times when shaving that morning. Second, he had gotten so angry at the fact that his shoes just wouldn't go on his feet that he had ripped them in half. Third, he had forgotten his homework that he had worked on for hours the night before under his bed and had to give a lame excuse to the professor. The list went on and on.

Pete sighed. At times like these he really liked to do was sit in the library and draw. However, just as luck would have it, the library was closed because Pyro had 'accidentally' gotten a hold of some lighter fluid and torched a couch in there. He was now spending his Saturday afternoon in detention while Pete was stuck drawing in the kitchen. He sketched out some cartoons, but didn't really feel in the comic mood.

Someone coughed and he looked up surprised. Usually nobody came to the kitchen on Saturday, they were all out doing stuff, which is why he chose it. He needed some peace and quiet. The person in the doorway was a girl, a new student. She had come to the school a week ago and was still settling in. Pete had seen her in some of his classes, but didn't really know a lot about her. "Hi." He said. _God, you can't think of anything to say but hi? Smooth…_ he thought to himself. She glanced at him and around the room. "Hi." She had blonde hair that was pulled back into a rough bun and she was wearing a simple green t-shirt and jeans. They stood there for a minute, Pete being awkward as he usually was around girls.

"Uh, can I sit down?" She asked.

"Oh, sorry." Pete jumped up and started to clear the table of his drawings. "I'm kind of a messy artist." He shoved his papers in his bag and swept his pencils and pens in with them. The girl picked up a stray piece of paper, one of his drawings. "Hey, these are really good." She said. "Thanks, it's just a hobby." She handed him the paper. "Is there anything good to eat around here?" Pete dropped his bag on a chair in the corner and walked to the fridge. He opened it and bent down. He had to bend down because he was about a foot taller than the fridge. It wasn't a characteristic that came with his power; he got his height from his dad.

"On Saturdays? No, not really. There's an old bologna sandwich here that might be edible and some soda pop." The girl grimaced. "Soda pop's fine." He tossed her a can and she caught it. "So, what's your name?" She asked him. "Piotr Rasputian. You can call me Pete though."

"Cool. I'm Beth. I guess it's the routine question around here, but what's your power? I just got here and I don't really know everybody."

"It's cool." He thought it over, trying to describe his power in the best way. "Uh, the best way to describe it is to show you I think."

"Cool. Well, power up or whatever you do." She sat on the chair, sipping her soda and watching him. He chuckled at the power up joke. "Yeah, I guess that's the closest thing anyone's ever come to describing it." The girl looked confused. Pete stood and clenched his jaw, concentrating. He felt the cold metal work its way up his body, turning himself into a veritable fortress that nothing could break. His shirt stretched, more than it had been, and he could hear it ripping. _Crap, just what I need, a growth spurt. Now I gotta get some new clothes and I hate shopping._ He sighed, a giant depressed metal person. Beth was looking at him with a strange expression on her face.

"I see what you mean about powering up. So, you turn to metal. That's gotta come in handy sometimes." Pete looked at her. "Yeah, sometimes. I'm pretty strong and bigger than most people. It helps when I'm moving big stuff around."

Beth giggled. "I sure hope you don't rust." Pete laughed out loud at that, the first time that day. He slumped down in a chair, not noticing he was still completely metal. The chair immediately broke when he sat down, making him land on the floor with a crash. He got up slowly, looking at the dent he had made in the wooden floor.

"Crap." he said, then 'powered down'. He felt his shirt float loosely around his shoulders. Beth was laughing hysterically at the table. "It wasn't that funny." Pete said, glowering. "I'm sorry, I've been having a bad day and that just cheered me up a lot." She took another drink of her soda. "I'm not great with change and I've had a lot of it the last week." Pete sat down, slowly this time, running his fingers through his short brown hair. "I know what you mean. I wasn't a social butterfly when I came to this school and I was alone for the first couple of months." Beth nodded, agreeing with him.

Pete leaned back against the chair, hearing it groan in protest. "Well, I showed you mine, so what's your power?" Beth looked away from him towards the window where a potted flower stood, still budding and alone in the window. It began to grow and sprout blue flowers, abnormally fast. Soon it was overflowing the pot and branching down to the floor. "I've got control over plants. I guess it's a cool power, not as intimidating as yours though." She smiled at him and he snorted. "I doubt anyone's is." They held each other's glance for a second before looking away, both blushing. Suddenly a boy's voice rang through the halls calling for Pete. Bobby Drake appeared in the door and the two turned to look at him. "Hey Pete we… Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Pete looked at Beth then back at Bobby. "No, what is it?"

"We need some help uh, rearranging some furniture." Bobby coughed a little at that statement and Pete rolled his eyes. "You guys trying to mess with his mind? Remember what happened last time?" Bobby flinched. "Yeah, but this time he'll never know it's us until it's too late! Come on, just help us position it." Beth leaned over to Pete. "What are you guys talking about?" Pete stood. "A little practical joke. Beth, this is Bobby and vice versa. Let's get going before he comes back." He turned to Beth offering her his hand. "You wanna come? It'll be fun, all in the spirit etcetera, etcetera." Beth paused, then grabbed his hand and he pulled her off the stool. They followed Bobby out the door, Pete taking up most of the doorframe, and down the hall.

Beth had come to Xavier's school after her parents had forced her to become somewhat of a hermit. They had taken her out of her old school, afraid someone might find out about her, and started home schooling her. She had had a lot of friends before they cut her off, but had lost them after her parents intervened.

When she came to Xavier's School for Gifted Children she thought maybe this might be a good place for a new start. The students all had the same 'issues' as she did, so they might sympathize. Boy, was she wrong. Sure, there was the random person who said hi to her in the hall trying to be friendly, but other than that people ignored her. Pete was the first person who had made her feel the least bit welcome, and that was by falling on his butt! _Gee, if the guy I like has to make me like him by falling down, how am I ever gonna get a boyfriend? I must be really pathetic_. She sighed inwardly, following Pete and Bobby down the hall. _Well, he looked just as awkward as I felt. Maybe I have a chance with him… Oh stop it Beth, you know what happens when you start thinking like that. Rejection. That's what happens._

Up ahead,Bobby turned a corner. At least Beth thought he did because she couldn't see him since Pete was taking up the entire hallway. They entered a plain room with some furniture and dirty clothes everywhere. Beth half chuckled to herself. "This kinda looks like my room" she explained to the boys when they looked at her. Bobby stood staring at the ceiling, measuring it with his eyes. He kept looking back and forth between furniture, getting very intense about it.

Pete leaned over and whispered to Beth, "This is a very crucial part in the plan, everything must be positioned perfectly." He was so close to her face she shivered a bit, her stomach twisting pleasantly. _Stop it_, she told herself. _It's just going to lead to heartbreak._ The other half of her brain argued, _but he's really cute. Did you see the way he looked at you in the kitchen?_ "You mean he can't just schlop all the stuff on the ceiling randomly?" Pete shook his head. "No, he's kind of OCD like that." He looked at her strangely. "Is schlop even a word?" Beth grinned. "I dunno. Sometimes I think my power is the ability to butcher the English language."

Pete was about to say something when Bobby called him over. "Alright Tinman, let's see what you can do with his couch. I want it right there, a little to the left of the light." Pete bent and picked up the couch and turned it upside down, the pillows falling down on his head. _Genius_, he said in his mind. He stood up straight and pushed the couch to the ceiling.

"This good Bobby?" He asked.

"Perfect." Bobby grinned. He lifted his arms and a stream of ice flowed form his hands to the bottom of the couch, 'icing' it to the ceiling. Once the couch was firmly secured, they moved onto the chair, the bedside table and finally, the bed. Pete grunted a bit with the last one, finally managing to balance it on his head while supporting it with his arms. Once the last piece of furniture was melting to the ceiling, the boys stepped back to admire their handiwork.

"Awesome." Bobby said, rubbing his hands together with glee. "The bastard isn't gonna catch me this time." Pete rolled his eyes. "Yeah cuz it's totally obvious that his stuff WASN'T melted there with ice." He turned to Beth on a sudden whim and said, "Do you wanna go on a walk?" Beth looked a little surprised by his offer, but kindly accepted.

They said good bye to Bobby, who looked like he was about to break out into maniacal laughter any second, and started down the hall towards the main door. They walked in silence, Pete opened the front door for her and she muttered a thank you. They turned and started walking into the maze of hedges that was the school's garden. Pete liked the gardens. Sometimes he would sit at one of the many benches and draw a flower or two. It was early spring and the plants were just budding. They walked past rows upon rows of daylilies, chrysanthemums, petunias and so on.

Finally they reached a small space, enclosed by shrubs, that held a small stone bench and a tiny fountain that trickled water into a pool filled with darting fish. Beth sat down on the bench and Pete stayed standing. They were both silent for a second, taking in the beauty of the plants. Beth always felt at home in gardens, she could almost hear the plants praises for their gardener, someone by the name of Kurt. "Who's Kurt?" Beth asked Pete. He was thinking about how bad his day was and didn't hear her. "Sorry? I was spacing."

"Who's Kurt?"

"Oh, Kurt's one of the teachers. He's a teleporter and the gardener here." Beth sighed, her face drooping. "What's wrong?" Pete said, taking a step towards her. Beth wrestled with her emotions for a second, then stood. "I don't know anybody here. All the students keep ignoring me, the teachers give me bullshit about how they want to help me but they obviously don't want to, the people I've tried to be nice to just shrug me off or get all snobby and up in my face when I didn't do anything, I've just moved here and it's getting to be a hell of a place, and you're the first person who's been the least bit nice to me and I can't even tell you…" At that, she clapped her hands over her mouth stopping her rant and her eyes widened. _Ah shit,_ she thought.

"Can't even tell me what?" Pete said questioningly. Beth lowered her hands slowly, afraid she might start up again. "Nothing, just, nothing. I'm sorry, I have to go." Beth sprinted off down the path, leaving Pete staring after her dumbstruck. She reached a break in the hedges and found herself in another little space. She sat down on the bench with her head in her hands. _You were about to say you liked him!_ The smart half of her brain accused. _Yeah, so maybe he does like me, what then?_ Her impulsive half shot back. _But what if he doesn't like you? Then you'd be in for some heavy rejection._ She sighed and stared at the ground. She'd probably just ruined what little chances she'd had with the one boy who actually talked to her. She traced her finger through the dirt. This day was not the best of days. Pete would probably never talk to her again.

"Beth?" Beth's head shot up. There was Pete, almost dwarfing the shrubs because he was so tall. Beth blushed. Pete walked over to the bench and sat down next to her, so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body. He looked into her eyes, leaned in, and kissed her. Beth was shocked. A) She had never been kissed before B) Pete had only just met her C) She was having a bad day, so why was this happening and D) Pete was really cute.

She sat there, frozen, as Pete pulled away. He turned away and muttered something about being sorry. Beth shook her head, trying to rid her brain of the separate arguments that were going on in her head. _Shut up!_ She ordered. She placed her hand on Pete's shoulder and he turned his body so he was looking at her. Beth took a breath, leaned in, and placed her lips against his.

Nothing happened for a moment, and then fireworks went off in Pete's mind. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. Her arms snaked around his neck and she kissed him back. They were so wrapped up in each other they didn't notice the plants that had begun to twist themselves around their legs, holding them in place. They drew away from each other, staring at the other person. Beth had never felt like this before. It felt like her stomach was shrinking, and then growing again rapidly. Her hands were shaking and she didn't know if she could stand up. Pete was feeling almost the exact same way. He could feel his skin shivering and had to concentrate extra hard to not go all metal on her. They were both grinning and blushing like idiots.

Suddenly, Pete looked down at his feet. They were both covered in plants from the waist down. They tried to move heir feet, but they couldn't. Beth started to laugh. "We just seem to get in the most awkward positions, don't we?" Pete smiled. "Yeah, I guess it's both of our awkward powers working together." Beth reached out and said "I guess I should tell them to let go, we wouldn't want anyone to find us like this." Pete grabbed her hand, and her stomach went into spasms again. "I really don't care if people find us here or not. My day can't get any worse than it already has been." He leaned over and kissed her again.

His tongue grazed over her lips and into her mouth. She could feel the plants get restless, but she didn't care. Like Pete had said, her day couldn't get any worse. She moved her hands up his biceps, which were huge, and onto his shoulders. They sat there, chained by flora to the stone bench, when suddenly it started to rain. Pete tore away from her lips and glanced up. "I guess I was wrong about the whole bad day thing." He said. Beth looked at him, staring at the sky while the rain soaked his white t-shirt, pressing it against his toned muscles. She shivered, but not because of the rain. Pete glanced at her and misinterpreted her shiver. "We should get inside before we both catch cold."

He did his whole 'metal up' thing and broke through the plants that were keeping them hostage. He pulled her up and went back to his human form. He began to walk back through the hedges, but Beth grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her, into a short and sweet kiss. When they pulled away, Beth smiled at him. "Thanks, for everything. My day's gotten a whole lot better." Pete looked at her, hair sopping wet from the rain, clothes damp and clinging to her, and grinned. "Me too."

_Well you are the one the one that lies close to me_

_Whisper's hello I miss you quite terribly_

_I fell in love, in love with you suddenly_

_Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms_


	2. Jealous Much?

The evil laughter was enough to convince John Allerdyce he had just made a new friend. She was shorter than him by a couple of inches, had dark brown hair that reached to her shoulders, and was lighting matches one after another with a squeal every time they lit. When they were burning, she would reach up with her other hand and run her fingers through the flames just slow enough to make her skin burn black. After the fifth match, she threw her head back and laughed hysterically. John thought this was partially because she had run her fingers through the fire one too many times, but he still thought it was cute.

"Hey, whatcha doing?" He said, walking into the room. She was lying on the couch in ratty striped pants and a t-shirt that had some faded writing on it. At the sound of his voice she jumped up, nearly falling off the couch. "Nothing." She shrugged, putting the matches back into her pocket. "Nothing, huh? You like to burn your flesh often?" He leaned against the wall and raised his eyebrow at her. She shifted uncomfortably and crossed her arms. "Yeah so, nothing wrong with that." John stared at her before she started squirming. "Okay, so many people don't burn their skin. So I like it, does that make me a bad person?"

"No, it just makes you creepy." John said, trying not to laugh. The girl glared at him. "Thanks for the upbeat comments, I can tell you're going to be very nice." She said sarcastically. Then she got up and stormed past him, not giving him a second glance. He reached out and caught her arm as she went by, yanking her back. "What's your name, flesh burner?" She looked him up and down, trying to decide whether or not to tell him. "Cassandra. What's yours?" John grinned, pulled out his lighter and opened it, flicking on the flame. "Pyro. Or John. Which ever appeals to you."

Cassandra's eyes flashed at the fire, then looked at John. "I think the name dickhead suits you better. See ya." With that she wrenched her arm out of his grip and walked back down the hallway. John grimaced. Another girl who thought he was just an ass. _That's her problem_, he thought, _she shouldn't go around calling people names anyway_. He flicked open his lighter and started to play with the fire, moving it from hand to hand. Suddenly, he got an idea and raced down the hall after Cassandra. He caught up with her in the game room, which was filled with people. He tried to get her attention, but she just turned away from him and kept talking to the girls that were at the table with her. John got fed up, walked over and poked her in the shoulder. Hard. She turned around, eyes blazing.

"Okay fire boy, are you looking for a fight?" John stepped back a little. "No, I was just wondering if you'd like to go to the bonfire with me on Sunday." He winked at her. "Lots of fire to run your hands through." He could tell she was thinking about it, though her eyes never left his face. All the girls at the table were silent, looking at Cassandra. Finally, she spoke. "Alright _Pyro_, I'll go with you. Now go away." She turned around and promptly went back to talking with the girls. John stood there for a second, amazed that she had said yes. Then he regained his focus and walked back to his room, flicking his lighter on and off.

Sunday evening, John was trailing around the foyer, waiting for Cassandra to get there. He had spent the morning and afternoon holed up in his room because he couldn't help set up for the bonfire. His friends thought he might get excited and start it a little early. He sighed and glanced at his watch. He pulled out his lighter and tried to resist the urge to light the potted plants on fire. Suddenly, he heard someone coming down the stairs. He turned, half expecting it to be a teacher or another person bringing food to the party. Cassandra was coming down the big main staircase.

She was wearing a nice silk blue shirt and shorts, the weather was warm enough. John waved at her and she looked at him, lighter and all. "Hey hotshot, I see that you haven't let your lighter go." John grinned and opened the door for her. "I carry this baby around with me every where. Be warned," He said, eyes flashed with humor and malice at the same time, "Touch the lighter and die." Cassandra stopped short. He smiled jokingly at her then started walking down the steps and onto the path. She followed, still wary of him. They walked down the front path, about three feet kept between them at all times. The path was bordered by large shrubs that reached towards the sky. When they got close to the fence, John looked around for teachers or a student that might snoop on them since going out of the mansion was forbidden after dark. He made sure the way was clear then ran over to the wall and looked back for Cassandra. She was a step behind him, looking the wall over. "Alright princess, if you need my help…"

"I don't need your help. And don't call me princess." She reached up a hand and pulled herself close to the wall, feet searching for hidden holes and slits she could rest them in. John sighed, again. He could tell this was going to be a long night. He grabbed some stones and pulled himself up after her. They reached the top and climbed halfway down the other side before jumping off. They set off down the road towards the sound of chaos and laughter. They walked in silence, until… "So, Cassandra, what do you do in your spare time?" Cassandra walked silently beside him, he couldn't see her face because it was so dark so he didn't know if she had heard him. She answered finally, "I burn things. And I draw. Colossus and I like to trade caricatures of people. The ones we've done of you are pretty funny." John blanched. He didn't know if she had ever taken notice of him before, she was always talking with her friends. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, really." They walked on in awkward silence, but Cassandra didn't seem to mind. John kept thinking of questions he could ask her, but none of them sounded right for the moment. They were quiet for the rest of the walk, when they came to an abandoned barn with tons of wood in the front, piled up and not lit. "Hey, Pyro! Buddy, uh, we could use some help with the fire thing." Pete walked over to him and threw his arm around his shoulder, knocking the wind out of him. He gasped for breath until Pete saw him having trouble and got off him. "Oh, sorry about that." Cassandra kicked a piece of wood out of her path and leaned against John, her elbow resting on his shoulder. "Hey Colossus, don't kill my date. Please." John glanced at her, but she just looked away, running her eyes around the yard."So, you gonna help them or not, fireboy?"

John frowned. "Well I would, if I didn't know who had frozen all of my furniture to my ceiling! Seriously, I think we should just get outta here and leave them to fend for themselves." He swung his arm up around Cassandra's shoulders and winked at her. She grinned, then pulled her face into a mock frown. "Oh, but they'd be so cold without any fire to warm them up." John stepped forward. "Then maybe we should give them some." He grinned evilly, wiping the smile off Bobby and Pete's faces. He flicked open his lighter and grabbed some fire in his hand. It was warm, but it didn't burn him. It felt comforting, like an old friend.

Suddenly, he felt an arm on his chest and Cassandra pushed him back. "No, don't be too hard on them. What they really need is a taste of revenge." She walked over to Pete and Bobby, both looking terribly frightened because she was looking twice as evil as Pyro. She held out her hands and grasped them both by the forearm. They both winced at the same time, then opened their eyes relieved that nothing had happened. Suddenly, they were both twitching and yanked their hands away, yelling in pain. Cassandra chuckled and walked back over to John. He looked at her, puzzled. "What exactly did you do to them?"

"Well, I have the power to create electricity, so I gave them each a little spark. It couldn't kill them, just 'burn' them a little. Now, why don't you light that fire so we don't freeze to death out here." She pointed to the pile of wood that looked so cold and dead on the lawn. John smiled, flicked his lighter on, and felt his power grow as the tip of the lighter flared into life. He breathed, feeling calmer already. Okay, so a girl whom he liked had just gotten his revenge on his friends. _I can't be protected by a girl, no matter how much I like her._ He gathered the fire in his right hand, then breathed in and pulled back. In one fluid motion he pushed his hands out, breathed out sharply, and sent a blazing inferno towards the dark wood pile.

People shrieked and jumped back, away from the burning flames, then realized they weren't in any trouble and cheered. Someone started up a turntable and blasted music through three foot speakers. John felt someone punch him in the shoulder and turned around to Cassandra's grinning face. "Nice, fire boy. Wanna get something to eat? I heard there were some good cookies over at the DJ's table." She started sauntering over to the cookie counter. John watched her go, flicking his lighter as she went.

Bobby came over and nudged him in the ribs. "So, you gotta little thing for Sparks over there?" John blushed, glad that it was dark and Bobby couldn't see him. "Nah, she's just a date for tonight. So, who else is here?" Bobby looked around. "Well, Kitty and Rogue are hanging around somewhere, Colossus is somewhere, probably making out with his new 'friend' Beth. She's new, I don't know what her mutant names is. Rumor has it she's a greenhouse nerd, got control over plants. I'm sure Warren said he was coming, but I haven't seen him. Jubes is hanging with Hawkeye and Blink, and the rest I don't know. I guess they're other mutant's friends. Oh, there's Rogue and Kitty now, see ya dude. Wait up!" He sprinted off around the other side of the bonfire.

John started to follow Cassandra when he spotted some new arrivals. Sketchy ones. A boy was leading a small group of five teenagers, dark clothes, piercings, tattoos. John's creepy sensor immediately went off and he strode over to them. Pete was already there, arms crossed. "So, why are you here again?" He questioned the kids. The boy in front stepped forward and smirked. He was an inch taller than John with shaggy brown hair and at least five piercings on his face. His dark eyes were laughing at John. "We're here for the party." Pete shifted his feet. "And do you know anybody here or are you crashing our bonfire?" The boy faked a horrified look. "We are just innocent partygoers, trying to have a good time. Can't we?" Pete looked at John. John raised his eyebrows at him and he shrugged. "I guess so. But don't make any wrong moves, cuz we've got friends." The boy smiled at them "Wouldn't dream of it, big bird. Mind letting us through tightwad?" He smiled at John then brushed past him. His gang followed close behind, one of the girls dropped back, stopped in front of Pete and looked him up and down. She was wearing a really mini miniskirt, black leather, and a lacy see through camisole with a very obvious black bra on underneath. "Hey tough guy, you the bouncer in this neighborhood?" She moved closer to him and ran her finger up his arm. John coughed. "Uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you." The girl turned and looked at him. She had piercing blue eyes and her face was caked with makeup, heavy on the eyeliner. "Why cutie, you jealous?"

"No, because Pete's girlfriend could kick your butt." The girl strode boldly up to him and pressed her body against his. He could feel her legs running up his thigh. "I bet she couldn't." She whispered. "Yeah? Well here's your chance to tell her, she's coming this way." The girl whirled around and, sure enough, Beth was bulldozing her way over to their spot, looking a tad bit miffed. Okay, more than a tad bit. A shitload. She stopped in front of the girl and placed her hands on her hips, flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "What do you think you're doing, barging in here and touching other people's boyfriends?" The girl rested on one leg, calmly picking at her nails. "I think I'm just having a good time, unlike some uptight people around here." Beth's eyes blazed. "Who are you calling uptight?" The girl looked her up and down contemptuously. "Well, I don't know your name so I couldn't call you anything now could I?"

Beth started to roll up her sleeves, when someone put her hands on her arm. Cassandra pushed Beth back and stepped in front of her, her back to the girl. "Beth, try to calm down. She didn't know that Pete was your boyfriend, I'm sure she would have left him alone if she had. Go get some food and try to cool off." Beth glared at the new girl for a second before grabbing Pete's arm and dragging him to the food table, which was kind of a hard feat to do considering Pete was about a hundred pounds heavier than she was. Cassandra turned back to John and the girl. "Good, now that that's settled, you mind telling me what you were doing feeling up my date?" The girl sighed. "Just trying to make friendly conversation, but obviously the girls here are way too uptight about their men. I guess I'll go pick on someone else."She pushed through Cassandra and John and made her way out to the dance floor, shaking her hips sensually in time with the music.

Cassandra walked over to the bonfire and John followed her. They sat down in two of the plastic chairs that were positioned around the fire, close enough to be warm but not close enough to burn your face off. "Interesting escapades with that group, huh? I guess we're going to have to watch them." John said, settling down into his chair. "Yeah, be border patrol for a while. I don't know, it makes me feel like I can't have a good time when I have to look out for my friends at parties like these. I just don't want them to get into trouble." John placed his hand on her arm, which was resting on the chair's armrest. "You know, you don't have to look out for them. They can fend for themselves just fine." Cassandra just sighed. John thought for a second, then said, "You know what I think? I think you're afraid to have a good time so you made up that pathetic excuse so you didn't have to." Cassandra quickly looked up at him, hurt. John grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, we're dancing." Cassandra started protesting immediately. "I don't dance, really, I just don't. In fact, I can't dance. I suck at it."

"Well so do I. Let's suck at dancing together." They had reached the middle of the dance 'lawn'. In between swaying bodies and the ground shaking beneath her feet, Cassandra felt a little trapped. John started moving with the crowd, and he held on tight to her hands so she couldn't run away. Finally, she reluctantly gave in and moved her feet from side to side. "I feel ridiculous!" she shouted to him. "So do I! It's all part of the fun." He grinned at her and she glared at him. After a couple of minutes, she began to get the groove down and started to move her hands in time with the music. She could feel the beat pumping it's way through her legs and into her torso, kind of like the electricity did when she got ready to use it. She closed her eyes and let the bass beat wave through her body. She was just losing herself in the song, when she opened her eyes to look for John. She saw him a foot away from her, standing awkwardly in the crowd. She strained her neck and suddenly she could see why.

The girl who had been flirting with Pete and John earlier was grinding up against him. Cassandra caught John's eye and he mouthed something to her that was lost in the mob of people. She wasn't blaming him though. She pushed her way through the crowd, punching a guy when he didn't move out of her way. She reached John and grabbed the new girl by the shoulders, wrenching her off of him. The girl was taken by surprise and stumbled until she found her balance. When she saw who was holding her, she smirked. "So, come back for some more, huh?" Cassandra wasn't going to let her off easy this time. "Yeah, and you're going to get it." She could feel the sparks running through her blood, charging up every time they passed through her heart. "Bring it on, wussy." The girl held up her hand and beckoned, challenging her. Cassandra smiled. _She asked or it…_

She let the power in her body build until it was almost enough to stun a person. Then, she hurled a bolt at the girl and stood back to admire her work. When the dust settled, the girl was nowhere to be seen. Cassandra's grin faded from her face. Had she blasted her right off the face of the planet? She had her answer a millisecond later when the girl popped out of nowhere and landed in front of Cassandra, a smug look plastered right across her face. "Come and get me, bitch." She whispered, then disappeared with a loud CRACK. _A teleporter_.

Cassandra's blood pounded through her skull and she could feel her temperature rise. John put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. "Just a second John, I gotta get at this fly that's been bugging me." By this time the entire lawn had gone silent and cleared a large circle around the bonfire. The girl's voice rang out from the crowd. "Come on, pretty girl, get your face dirty!" Cassandra listened to the insults for a second later, then turned and chucked another bolt where she had last heard the voice. "Ah ah ah, that's not how we play nice. Now, why don't we settle this face to face." The girl popped out fifteen feet away from Cassandra. "Can you get me now?" Cassandra needed now further invitation. She started hurling bolts left and right, wherever she could see the girl However, she just kept popping out and into the circle again. Cassandra could never get a hold on her.

Just then, the girl popped into reality a foot from Cassandra's head. She spun in the air and kicked her in the face. Cassandra went down, bleeding from a cut on her cheek. She could hear gasps from the crowd and thought, _oh she's gonna get it now._ Cassandra got back up and looked around for the girl. She was standing near the fire and waving sardonically. Cassandra started to fire bolts of electricity randomly around the circle, face hard and waiting. The girl frowned, then teleported right in front of Cassandra. _Gotcha now!_ Cassandra held up her hand and blasted the girl right in the face. The girl went down, crumpling to the ground unconscious. Her friends scrambled to get her, glaring at Cassandra, lifted her up and dumped some water on her. Cassandra walked away, brushing off her friends compliments and concerns. She went towards the barn and leaned against the doorway.

Suddenly, she could feel someone's breath on the back of her neck. She turned around and come face to face with John. "I don't…" her breath hitched. He was way too close to her to be friendly, and was staring into her eyes. He leaned down slowly, and pressed his lips against hers. Cassandra stood still for a second, then relaxed. She breathed in and smelled something along the lines of burnt wood, a soothing and warm kind of smell. John wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her close to him. They remained suspended like that for a millennium, before Cassandra pushed him away. "Now, just because I came to this stupid bonfire, beat up some girl who was hitting on you, and kissed you does not mean we're together." John smiled wryly. "Of course not." He said, before leaning in and kissing her again.


	3. Flying Lessons

Warren Worthington the Third looked across the classroom. He was new to the school, just arrived last week. This was his first time in a classroom since he had been in elementary school. His father had home schooled him through his life, not taking any chances of exposing him to the world. Warren was brighter than most kids his age, but that was mostly due to his constant reading and studying. His father had kept him busy learning the family business. Now he was back in the classroom, raising his hand and competing with others for the correct answer.

Science, not his best subject, but he worked at it. The teacher was Ms. Jean Grey, a tall red haired sophisticated lady who communicated with the students well. _Better than most business partners_, Warren thought. "Warren? Would you care to answer the question?" Warren snapped out of his reverie and shook his head dumbly. Jean looked pointedly at him, then looked around the room. "Does anybody else want to answer, ah yes, Anna?"

"Well, according to Medel's conclusions, alleles segregate randomly from one another. That basically means that if you have, say, brown hair, that's not necessarily connected to having brown eyes. The alleles aren't connected to each other, but they are dominant and recessive." Warren glanced down the row of desks at the girl who had spoken. She was sitting up attentively, pen out and paper covered in notes. She had cropped blonde hair and startling wide blue eyes that were focused on the board. Warren leaned back. _Hm, she seems to know what she's doing._

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Warren was leaning over his science book when he heard the knock. He groaned, got up, and walked over to the door. Opening it, he came face to face with Anna, the girl from his science class who answered the question. She looked up at him, startled. "Oh, I'm sorry, I though this was Cassandra and Beth's room."

Warren opened the door all the way. "That's no problem. I think their room is down the hall, 34B."

Anna looked down, then back up to his face and blushed. "Uh, thanks." She said, and walked off fairly quickly down the hall towards her friend's room.

Warren shut his door and went back to his desk. He sat down and felt a cool breeze across his chest coming from his open window. It was then that he noticed he didn't have a shirt on. He usually put one on when talking to people, but this time he must have forgot. He sighed. She'll probably never talk to him again, she'll be too embarrassed.

He threw his pen down on his science book, tired of homework. He got up and went to the large open window and raised himself up on the sill. He stood there for a second, letting the cool breeze wrap around his body. Then he closed his eyes, spread his arms, and fell. The wind rushed passed him as he gathered speed and dropped towards the ground. At the last minute, he spread his wings and caught the wind. He flew up, pumping his pearly white appendages, his muscles straining with the effort.

It had been a while since his last flight and he was still getting used to going out more frequently. He needed to get his muscles in shape and fit to fly before he tried any aerial maneuvers. As he flew through the air, he kept thinking of those blue eyes. He just couldn't get them out of his head. They captivated him, along with her. He decided he was better off trying to sleep, and so he turned around and headed home. As he landed on his windowsill, he noticed one room's light was on and little ways down from his and someone's silhouette sitting in the window.

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Anna watched Warren take off gracefully from his window, plummeting to the ground before stretching his breathtaking wings and flying off into the night. Anna had always had dreams of flying, falling through the air, twisting and turning with nothing but aerodynamics to hold you up from gravity. She was reading a book on airplanes and how they worked, leaning against her window and watching him until she couldn't see him anymore. She sighed and placed her book down on the table.

She had come to the school because her brother went there, Peter. He was a mutant but surprisingly, Anna wasn't, at least not yet. Scientists had run tests on her DNA and had found that she was more than 70 percent likely to become a mutant, so her parents had shipped them both off to school. Anna hadn't told anyone she was just a human, she'd thought they might resent her. Only Peter knew and he wasn't about to tell anyone. He already had a love interest, one of her friends, Beth. Her other friend, Cassandra, was supposedly hooking up with that fire guy, Pyro. Anna didn't know a lot of people, so she hadn't been interested in many of the boys that she had seen.

Warren however, he had stirred up something inside her. She blushed, possibly redder than before, when she thought about his bare chest, devoid of fat just pure muscle. She was sure it was part of his mutation, so that it didn't hinder him when flying, but it was a good thing: a very good thing. She shivered when she pictured his toned arms and striking features. His spiked blonde hair was cute, and she thought his wings were absolutely amazing.

She had dreampt of course, of herself flying. Sometimes she had wings like his, other times she had lizard-like ones, like dragon wings. She longed to feel the wind in her face, the sinking feeling she got when she was on a roller coaster. She wanted it more than anything. She picked up her book again and continued reading about air drafts and steering wings.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a great pain racked her body. She dropped the book and fell to the floor grasping her back. Her shoulders were on fire, and she could feel her bones cracking. She rolled around on the floor as the pain got worse. She could no longer hear anything but her pained screams. She saw someone burst into her room and lean down. "Peter, Peter..." she said, still holding onto her back. Peter picked her up and carried her, still screaming, down to the medical labs. He placed her on a table and yelled for someone to get Jean Grey.

Beth appeared on his right shoulder, looking worried. "Is she going to be alright?" She asked. "I don't know." Peter said. Cassandra and John burst into the room a second later. "We heard the screams, what's going on?" Cassandra asked. Peter turned to her. "I don't know! I just, I don't know." Suddenly, Jean grey appeared in the room. "All of you, I'm sorry, but you need to get out and let me work on her." They ran out of the room, Peter giving one last look at his baby sister lying whimpering on the hospital bed, before closing the door.

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Anna woke up in her own bed. She was lying on her stomach, not her usual sleeping position. She turned her head around the pillow and saw an empty chair next to her bed. She tried to push herself up, but her arms gave out underneath her. Her back and shoulders twanged with pain and she could feel her spine creaking. She tried again, ignoring the pain and sitting up. There was no one in the room, but there was an I.V. next to her bed. She closed her eyes and then opened them, telling herself it was a dream, there was nothing inside of her.

She followed the tubes down until it reached her hand. She twitched; she hated needles or I.V.s or anything that went into her body. She reached for it and yanked it out, then covered it with the tape that had been holding it there. She put her feet on the floor and stood, her leg muscles cramping up after staying in bed for so long. She stretched her arms and shoulders when she realized something was wrong. There was something on her back. She reached behind her and felt something, like a leather jacket. She shook, trying to get it off, but it wouldn't fall. She grabbed one and pulled, surprised to feel something tug at her shoulders. Suddenly, she realized what it must be. She slowly walked to her bathroom, opened the door, and moved in front of the mirror.

She turned, gazing across her back in shock. There, sprouting from her very own shoulder blades, was a pair of scaly wings, like a dragons. Anna reached back and touched them. They felt soft and membrane-like, like an eyelid or a lizard. She tried flexing them, and they moved. She gasped, and moved them again. They were about two feet long, flexible, but not big enough for flying. Anna didn't care. They were practically the coolest things that had ever happened to her in her entire life.

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"Blood tests are normal, fluids are fine, and the wings look healthy. They will probably grow bigger, but we'll keep checking on that. She seems well enough to get back to classes." Jean Grey checked Anna off on her clipboard, then patted her on the shoulder. "We all knew this was going to happen, I'm just glad it happened here instead of someplace else." She reached for the doorknob. "I think there's someone here who's been worried about you." She opened it, revealing four students who rushed in the room immediately.

Peter grinned and wrapped his sister in a huge bear hug. "Anna, I'm so glad you're back!" He said, trying to not crush her wings. She coughed and he put her down. "Don't kill me Pete, just because we're in a hospital room."

The two girls engulfed her while the boy held back, casually flicking his lighter. "Anna, we're so glad you're okay." They said together.

Cassandra touched her wings. "Wow, these things are so cool." She said, awestruck.

"Yeah, they're kinda small though. But what else would we expect from the midget here?" Beth punched her in the arm.

"Hey, these babies are supposed to grow to be at least six or seven feet each. See? They were two this morning and now they're four." She flapped her wings gently. "They grow fast."

"I'm just glad to see you're okay." Pete said, grinning at her. "Me too." She said, jumping down from the hospital bed. "Now, where can I get some food? I'm starved."

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"The heterozygous traits are one recessive and one dominant gene. If the mother was heterozygous and the father was homozygous dominant for brown hair, what are the chances of the child having brown hair?" Anna was having trouble concentrating on her Punnett Square problem. Her back was softly aching, and she could feel her wings underneath her shirt. She had decided to strap them to her back, partially because she didn't want anyone asking questions and because they were still growing and she didn't know what they might do.

She kept glancing over at Warren in between winces. _I wonder how he lives with those huge wings. They must get in the way sometimes._ She twitched in pain again. _I wonder what it's like to fly. He probably knows, maybe he'll teach me some things. _I'll ask him after class. She tried to focus on the problem, but the random pains were getting worse.

Suddenly, a wave of agony washed over her. She bit her lip, trying to ignore the wash of pain, tasting coppery blood. When the sharp hurt passed, she raised her hand. "Yes Anna?" Jean Grey turned to look at her sympathetically. _She must know what's going on_, Anna thought. "May I go to the nurse's office? I don't feel well." Jean nodded. Anna picked up her bag and dragged it behind her, not daring to put it on her back for fear the pain would return.

She walked down the hall and up the stairs to her room. She shut the door and took off her shirt. She had cut and sewed up a special tank top so her wings could fit through it. They were bigger, growing faster than anything. They were about five feet now stretched to their limit and still growing. She grabbed the end of them and pulled them, stretching out the muscle in her shoulders and her wings.

It was a weird feeling, that they were attached to her. They felt like a regular appendage, like an arm or leg. She flapped them a couple times and sent the papers on her desk flying across the room. She folded her wings hurriedly and bent down to pick up her papers.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door. Anna swore. She threw a blanket over her wings and back and opened the door a crack. Warren was standing there, books in hand. He looked kind of bashful. "Hi, I, uh, I was wondering if you were okay, you looked kind of distracted during class today." Anna opened the door a little wider. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

"No problem. Um, if you aren't too busy, do you want to study for the big test tomorrow together?" Anna looked at him. His face was gentle, his royal blue eyes poured into hers in genuine concern. He looked so cute standing there, worried about her. "Sure, let me just tidy up in here for a second." She shut her door and ran to put on a baggy t-shirt with some difficulty. She still wasn't used to her wings. She organized the papers on her desk, then opened the door again.

Warren was still standing there. He looked at her, then walked in. "Uh, you can sit anywhere I guess. I'll get a chair." She grabbed another chair and put it next to her desk. "So, about this test tomorrow..." Warren put his books on the desk. "Yeah, I really don't get this genetic stuff. Do you?" Anna smiled at him and launched into a tirade about genetics, genes, and alleles. She was continuing on, talking about traits passed on the X and Y chromosome when Warren sighed.

"You know, I don't feel like studying." Anna stopped and looked at him, puzzled. He stood, ruffling his wings a little bit. "Have you ever been flying?" Anna stepped back. "Why? What are you..." Her eyes went wide as she realized what he was asking. "Oh no, I'm sorry, I, I can't. I just, I can't." Warren stood up and moved towards her. "You haven't ever dreamed of flying? Of feeling the wind lifting you up and carrying you through the sky? You've never watched me flying from your window?"

At this Anna looked down and blushed, her face beet red. "Yes, I've seen you flying, and sometimes wanted to do it, but I can't. You wouldn't understand." Warren placed his hand on her shoulder. "Oh wouldn't I? I think I would understand better than anybody what you have hiding underneath your shirt." Anna looked up at him, not believing he could know her secret.

"It's okay Anna, you don't need to hide them from me, I'm probably the only one at this school who understands you." Anna glanced at his white feathery wings, then back to his face. Finally she looked away. "I'm sorry Warren, I should have told you. I just, I didn't know you that well. I didn't know what you would think of me. I'm not that used to my mutation."

Warren took a hold of her hand and a shiver of pleasure ran through her. "It's okay. I understand how you feel." Anna stepped back. "Do you mind turning around for a second?" Warren turned and faced the window, looking out into the partially light sunset. "Okay. You're good." Warren turned back to Anna and gasped.

Her wings were about eight feet long from wingtip to wingtip. They were emerald green and scaly, the light from a lamp on her desk was glinting off of them, making them look like jewels. Warren swallowed and stepped closer to her. "May I touch them?" He asked her, his voice cracking. Anna smiled at him sweetly. "Only if I can touch yours." Warren grinned, then reached over and brushed his hands lightly across the membrane. It twitched and Anna giggled. "Sorry, that tickles."

Warren ran his hands over her wings to her back where they were attached, just like his, to her shoulder blades. He stroked the place where the scales bled into her skin and she shivered. They looked into each other's eyes at the exact same moment. Ana could feel the heat radiating from his body through his thin shirt. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. She felt her stomach squirming with pleasure and kissed him back. He moved his arms around her back and she placed hers around his neck.

Their wings hesitated, then wrapped around each other, consuming them in a cocoon of membrane and feathers. They held each other close, pressing their bodies together. Finally, Warren backed away smiling. "So, do you still want to learn how to fly?" Anna grinned at him. "Are you offering?" She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Warren passionately. _I'll take that as a yes_, Warren thought, and started to drown in her captivating grey-blue eyes.


End file.
